Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wine aerator and, in particular, to a wine aerator that aerates wine as the wine is being poured into a wine glass.
Description of the Related Art
It is well known that aeration improves the aroma and flavour of wine. Decanters may be used to aerate wine and function by increasing the surface area of the wine while it is exposed to air. However, the wine needs to sit in the decanter for a period of time to aerate. It is therefore desirable to use aerators to rapidly aerate wine.
U.S. Patent Publication Number 2005/0205609, which was published on Sep. 22, 2005 in the name of Moore, discloses an open top glass vessel for aerating, filtering and dispensing wine. The vessel comprises a gravity fed container to collect and store wine, a glass sphere (containing a liquid medium) to introduce air to the wine as the wine passes over the glass surface, a stainless steel mesh to trap sediment and other debris normally introduced during the process of pouring wine from a bottle, and a valve to activate the flow of wine from the vessel to a drinking glass.
U.S. Patent Publication Number 2011/0297001, which was published on Dec. 8, 2011 in the name of DeJohn, discloses an aerator having a sphere, several rods that project upwardly from the sphere, and a filter that sits on the rods. The rods rest on the mouth of a wine glass with the sphere at or below the mouth. Wine is poured through the filter and onto the sphere to filter and aerate the wine before the liquid settles in the wine glass.